You Are Worth More Than Many Sparrows

As I read Matthew 10, I find myself lingering over one sentence that Jesus repeats:

“Do not be afraid.”

He says it not once, but three times—in verse 26, again in verse 28, and once more in verse 31.

But Jesus does not tell His disciples not to be afraid because nothing bad will happen to them.

In fact, He tells them quite the opposite.

A disciple is not above his teacher.

If Jesus was misunderstood, His disciples may also be misunderstood.

If Jesus was falsely accused, His disciples may also face false accusations.

Jesus even speaks about those who can kill the body.

The danger is real.

And yet Jesus says,

“Do not be afraid.”

The first reason is that the truth will ultimately be revealed.

People called Jesus Beelzebul, but their words could not determine who Jesus truly was.

Calling the truth a lie does not make it a lie.

Human judgment is not the final judgment.

That is why Jesus tells His disciples to speak in the light what they have heard in the dark, and to proclaim from the rooftops what they have heard whispered in their ears.

A disciple does not invent the message.

A disciple first listens to the Lord and then speaks what he has heard.

The second reason is that human power has limits.

People may kill the body.

Jesus does not minimize that danger or pretend that suffering is easy.

But their power goes only so far.

Human beings are not God.

Perhaps faith, then, is not becoming so strong that we are never afraid of people.

Perhaps faith is learning to see God as greater than the people we fear.

Then Jesus gives a third reason, and the tone of the passage becomes surprisingly tender.

He begins talking about sparrows.

Two sparrows were sold for a small coin. In the eyes of the world, they were creatures of very little value.

And yet not even one of them falls to the ground apart from the Father.

What stays with me is that Jesus does not say the sparrow will never fall.

The sparrow does fall.

Disciples suffer.

Things we never wanted or expected happen in our lives.

But the sparrow never falls outside the Father’s providence.

Then Jesus says,

“Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.”

The Father knows me more intimately than I know myself.

When no one understands,

when I am misunderstood,

when I do not know what to do next,

I am still fully known by the Father.

And so Jesus says once again,

“Do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Faith is not confidence that nothing painful will ever happen.

Faith is trusting that whatever happens, I will never fall outside my Father’s hands.

And Jesus Himself walked this road before us.

He was misunderstood.

He was rejected.

He was crucified.

But human judgment was not the final judgment.

God raised Christ from the dead.

So the fear I feel today is not the end of the story.

The opinions of others are not the end of the story.

Suffering is not the end of the story.

The final word belongs to God.

So today I will continue to speak what I have heard from the Lord, faithfully do what He has given me to do, and walk within the Father’s care.

If not even one sparrow falls outside His providence,

how much more will He care for me?